


the flower shop next door

by cryptidsoap



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Slow Burn, Will add tags as I go, other relationship tags to be added - Freeform, platonic gyuhao but then again Whats New, title is cliche as heck but whatever
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-01-17 15:51:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12369033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptidsoap/pseuds/cryptidsoap
Summary: In which Mingyu is an aspiring tattoo artist who works at a friend's shop and thinks the place needs a little decoration.





	1. the shining diamond crew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he. hehehe. hehehehehe i cant fuckign sleep so im posting this
> 
> starring:
> 
> \- seungcheol as the Ultimate Dad Friend™ and The World's Best Boss;  
> \- mingyu as the affectionate bro that can and WILL drop any object that isn't a tattoo machine;  
> \- hansol as the tattoo apprentice/office boy/receptionist/annoying cousin;  
> \- soonyoung as the coolest guy ever and wholesome ball of energy;  
> \- minghao as the cute albeit sarcastic little shit and also gyu's best friend;  
> \- chan as the precious piercer apprentice and apparently everyone's child;  
> \- seokmin as the actual Sun and pretty much the one who brings the two crews together;  
> \- wonwoo as #1 garden fairy and Oscar Wilde enthusiast;  
> \- jeonghan as the angel who sometimes overprices bouquets and more often than not likes to put flowers on people's heads;  
> \- jisoo as the soft botanist and jeonghan's favourite victim;  
> \- jihoon as the not soft botanist and resident genius;  
> \- junhui as the nicest guy ever, beautiful ikebana boy and succulent lover;  
> \- seungkwan as the cheerful receptionist/cashier who didn't ask for drama but will listen to it anyways;

Kim Mingyu was clumsy. A tall mess of long limbs that knocked over every piece of furniture and dropped his pencils, his food and his phone. He was, however, nothing short of talented: he graduated Visual Arts College with honors, pursuing his tattoo artist career not long after, all this while being a great cook and quite a good singer.

People said he was a klutz, but if there was one thing Mingyu was very confident at holding and overall taking care of was a tattoo gun. His dream of becoming a tattoo artist started from a young age, and he never stopped chasing it. After finishing college, he went looking for a job at a tattoo parlour, and after a few failed tries, found his place at Shining Diamond Tattoo.

The shop was owned by Choi Seungcheol, an older friend of his, with whom he kind of lost contact during the college period. They were happy to see each other again, and Seungcheol took Mingyu under his wing. After a surprinsingly short period of time, Mingyu was no longer an apprentice, but an official employee.

The other guys that worked at Shining Diamond were nice and welcoming. Actually, there weren't that many people; Seungcheol told him most of the old crew left because of a disagreement, leaving only him and Soonyoung, a piercer, as official workers. There were also Hansol (Seungcheol's younger cousin) and Chan, both apprentices. Now they had Mingyu, but were still short in staff, lacking a piercer. Mingyu's mind immediately went to his best friend, a professional piercer looking for a steady place to work at.

He quickly dialed his best friend's number.

"Hey, Hao."

"Hi. Any excuses why you're calling me at the asscrack of dawn on a Saturday?"

"It's literally 1PM, and I have good news. Hao, I think I found you a job. Remember the tattoo shop I told you about? Yeah. Turns out they're really short-staffed and need an experienced piercer. So yeah, I called you. Do you want it?"

"Are you serious? I swear to god, Kim Mingyu, if you're fucking with me-"

"Of course I'm being serious, asshole, do you want the job or not? I'm at the place right now, tell me so we can schedule your interview."

"YES! Yes, I want the job. Tell them I'm free pretty much everyday except for Monday and Wednsday mornings and afternoons."

"Right. Your dance classes. I'll tell them and then I'll call you back, ok?"

"Yeah. Gyu, if I get this job, I'm taking you out for dinner."

"I'll hold that against you. Ok, then. Bye, talk to you later."

"Bye."

Grinning, Mingyu turned to Seungcheol and Soonyoung.

"He said he wants it. He's free for the interview any day, except Monday and Wednsday mornings and afternoons, he's a teacher at a dance studio and his classes are early. Well, kind of. It's like a 9 to 5. Sorry, I'm rambling."

Seungcheol patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It's ok, dude. Can he come like, right now? Does he live far? I don't have any appointments for the next two hours — a rare thing, on a Saturday. I was planning on grabbing something nice to eat with Hansol but I guess it can wait."

"I'm free too." said Soonyoung. "Well, not for that long, but still."

"He doesn't live far. I'm pretty sure he can make it, and you don't have to give up on eating out. We can go to a diner and do the interview there?"

"I like your way of thinking, kiddo."

Mingyu couldn't stop smiling. He dialed Minghao's number again.

"Hao, can you come here right now? I'll text you the address, it's not far. Even though I think we're doing the interview at a diner."

"Right now? Yeah, sure, I guess. Yeah, I can come."

"Awesome. Grab your portfolio, dress fashionable and please brush your teeth. See you."

"Asshole. See you."

30 minutes later, they were all at a nearby diner, the burger-and-fries, 70's vibe type. Everyone instantly liked Minghao, and the olders were very interested in his work as well. After a nice portion of fries and medium-sized milkshakes, the magical words left Seungcheol's and Soonyoung's mouths:

"You're hired."

-•-

Fast foward to two months and a half later. The Shining Diamond crew was having a well-deserved after-shift hangout at the same diner where Minghao's interview was held. They all became regulars after that, as well as friends with one particular waiter.

"Welcome to Jam Jam, how can I- oh, it's you guys. Lemme get a table. The usual?"

"Hello to you to, Seokmin."

"Sorry, bro. Busy day. You know how Fridays get."

"Hell yeah we do." Seungcheol laughed, but his expression was tired. "The week has been crazy for us, so we decided to close early today. If I get another walk-in asking for the infinity sign or their lover's name, I'm quitting. I'm fucking quitting."

"Easy there, Cheollie." Mingyu patted his shoulder. "You know those types will never cease to exist, and that they are part of this job."

Seokmin offered a sympathetic smile. "I'll be right back with your orders."

"You guys mind if I get a headstart on my homework while being here?" Chan spoke up. "I need to start doing it or else I'll just write whatever the night before it's due and I can't keep on doing this."

"Sure buddy, go ahead." Seungcheol said, then turned to Hansol, who was playing with drum pads on his phone. "You should follow his example, kiddo. This isn't high school anymore, you know."

"I know, I know." he rolled his eyes. "How wouldn't I? I'm a second year, I've been doing this for a while. And, may I add, the being-chill-about-everything method has been working so far, so I don't know why you're complaining."

"Hansol, you're like, the chillest person I know."

"Exactly! I'm good at this. If I start being all frenzy and workaholic, I might actually collapse and melt. Become a puddle of Hansol at my dorm."

"Sometimes I forget how much of a drama queen you are."

Seokmin arrived with their food a few minutes later, and after putting the plates on the table he pulled a chair for himself.

"So. Whats's up?" he asked, drumming his fingers on the table.

"The usual." Soonyou answered. "I bought new hair dye. Minghao is kicking ass, as always."

"Yep." Minghao nodded, proud of himself for no particular reason other than... well, kicking ass.

"Chan is improving and we couldn't be more proud of our child."

"Thanks, but I'm 19. As in, not a child."

"Nonsense. You're like, five. Anyway, where was I? Hansol is playing Overwatch instead of doing his assignments-"

"I AM NOT! And Overwatch is a really good game and way more challenging than writing stuff about old music dudes."

"Coups just finished designing a really cool tattoo today. The guy asked for a full-back tattoo, it's gonna take like, ages to get it done."

"Don't call him Coups, stop encouraging him."

"Last but not least, Mingyu thinks our place looks a little dull. I agree. We could use some decoration."

Seokmin, bless him, listened to all of the updates and seemed to have just the solution for the decoration problem.

"You guys know that there's a flower shop opening next door to your parlour, right?"

All heads turned to him.

"Wow, you really didn't know... I study with one of the employees at uni. His name is Seungkwan and he's really cool, he told me they're opening next Monday. I only said it because, well, flowers and plants are always a good option for decoration right?"

"Seokmin, you're a genious." Chan high-fived him.

"Thank you, I try."

"One of my friends is also opening a flower shop next week!" Soonyoung said, and then lowered his voice. "Do you guys think they're gonna be rivals?"

"It's probably the same flower shop. It would really be a coincidence if it wasn't."

"Yeah, I guess. Let's find out on Monday."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyy hope you liked this ik its short, i'll improve
> 
> thanks for reading ⭐️


	2. meet the neighbours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here i am again!! im not 100% satisfied with the writing in this (tbh i never am) but i'll keep going because i like this AU ha
> 
> little reminder that this is unbeta'ed like all of my works bc idk how the beta system works here so yeah i'll figure it out someday and improve
> 
> so without further ado, enjoy!!

The weekend rolled by, and finally came the day of the reveal. They were all at the shop at 10 AM, except for Chan, who had morning classes that day, and Minghao, who was teaching at the dance studio.

A few minutes after they opened the shop, they heard an engine and, assuming it was the new neighbour (could it be called that?), ran to the window to get to know them. Outside, there was a minivan loaded with some boxes and some potted plants. Three young men were carrying the boxes inside, while another one stayed at the minivan, watching the others from the driver's seat.

"This one is really heavy." the shorter of the three complained, putting the box down and sitting on it afterwards. His hair was dyed a pastel pink and he was wearing dark shorts with a white graphic t-shirt. "Junhui, get your ass out of the van and help me."

"I can't, Jihoonie." the one who was still in the car smirked. "Someone has to take care of Glinda." he patted the van's pannel.

"Stop calling your minivan Glinda, you big nerd. Where's Jisoo?"

"Tutoring. He had an emergency session, remember?"

"Oh. Are you sure you can't help me with this box? Wonwoo and Jeonghan are busy settling the things inside the shop and this is the last one."

"Of course I will help you, I was just teasing you, silly." Junhui ruffled the other's hair, earning a grunt as a response.

The pair entered the shop and came back shortly after, accompanied by the other two guys who were carrying the boxes. They were looking at the front of the small building, probably comtemplating it. They finally got to open their business.

Inside the tattoo parlour, four heads were still watching the scene.

"Soonyoung, which one is your friend?" Mingyu poked the other boy's arm.

"Jeon Wonwoo, black hair and round glasses."

"Holy shit, he's cute. Why didn't you tell me he was cute?"

"Why would I? He's not my type, anyway. Pink-haired guy, though? He's literally the prettiest boy I've ever seen. He looks really fluffy and soft, but I get this vibe that he could also drop kick my ass into oblivion, and I wouldn't mind at all if he did. I would probably thank him."

Hansol snickered. "Keep your kinks to yourself, Soonyoung. Geez."

Beside him, Seungcheol squinted. "I think I know him."

"Who?"

"Pink-hair. He looks a bit different but I'm pretty sure it's him."

"Wanna go outside and talk to him?" Soonyoung suggested. "I was planning on saying hi to Wonwoo as well."

And so they did, leaving the empty shop for a moment to greet their new neighbours.

"Jeon Wonwoo, you big doofus!" Soonyoung called his friend. "You didn't tell me you were opening your flowershop right next door to Shining Diamond!"

The black haired boy turned his head and, recognizing the voice, walked over to give his friend a hug.

"To be fair, you never asked."

"True. Hey, let me introduce you to my coworkers. These are Seungcheol, Mingyu and Hansol. There are another two, Minghao and Chan, but they don't have the morning shift today."

Wonwoo offered a shy wave, wiggling his fingers.

(His hands were partially covered by the sleeves of his oversized sweater and it was so cute Mingyu wanted to dig a hole on the sidewalk and hide his head in it.)

"I suppose I should introduce you all to my coworkers, then. Actually..." he turned to his three friends, who were watching the exchange with curiosity. "Can you guys come here, introduce yourselves? I'm not really good at this." he smiled shyly.

"Shut up, of course you are." the one who was in the minivan earlier — Junhui? — stepped foward with a friendly smile. His dark blue hair was parted to the left and he was wearing red skinny jeans with a black tank top. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to say hi personally. Hello, I'm Wen Junhui, nice to meet you."

The one who hadn't talked yet also approached the bigger group. His long auburn hair was tied in a ponytail and had a flowercrown adorning it. "Hi, my name is Yoon Jeonghan. Nice to meet you, new neighbours."

"I like your flower crown." Soonyoung complimented.

"Thanks! Sorry, I didn't catch your name..."

"Oh! I'm Soonyoung. Kwon Soonyoung. Forgot to introduce myself earlier."

The one person left to be introduced, a.k.a. pink-haired boy, raised his arm and spoke up.

"Lee Jihoon. Nice to meet you all."

"I _knew_ it was you!" Seungcheol yelled, getting immediately scolded by Mingyu. "Sorry. But dude, you've changed! Do you remember me, Jihoonie? Please say you remember me, or this would get ten times more awkward."

"Seungcheol?" Jihoon's face scrunched up in confusion, but quickly brightened up. "Oh my- It's been so long! How many years? Two? Three?"

"I don't know, but yeah it's been a while. Are you just going to stand there? Come give me a hug, bro, I missed you!"

"Okay, first of all." Junhui interrupted. "Why is Jihoon hugging someone voluntarily? Second of all, what is going on here?"

"You make it sound like I'm allergic to physical contact." the shorter boy rolled his eyes. "I'm just not as extroverted as you or Seungkwan. I've hugged you before, you should know that I'm not that opposed to the idea."

"Jihoonie and I met at a music club." Seungcheol explained. "Our colleges had this kind of exchange program, but instead of attending classes at another institution, they  
shared a music club. It was fun."

"We were very close back then, but after we graduated we... drifted apart."

"I'm really glad I got to see you again! Hey, wanna catch up some time?"

"It would be nice. You know, I missed you too."

"Awww, I love family reunions." Jeonghan cooed.

"Lads, I'm sorry for ruining the moment", Hansol spoke up. "But I think one of you" he pointed at Seungcheon and Soonyoung. "has an appointment in exactly 13 minutes." He checked his phone. "Yep, I was right."

"Oh, that would be me." Seungcheol sighed. "It's back-tattoo-guy, I'm going to start coloring the piece today. I don't have the energy, help."

"Your client, your problem, dude." Mingyu grinned.

They went back to their respective shops, happy about the interaction.

At the flower shop, the four friends were setting up what was left of decoration and moving the plants that still weren't in their little greenhouse.

It was a big building, unlike the tattoo shop: three stories high with an empty backyard. They decided to live in the two top floors since the shop didn't need that much space, and set up a greenhouse on the backyard. It wasn't a fast moving process, but in the end it was worth it.

The shop itself consisted of a hall with a counter (where the recepcionist — Seungkwan — would stay), a backroom for the plants they would ocasionally order instead of growing themselves and a small office turned into Jeonghan's and Junhui's atelier (for bouquets and ikebana, respectively). The hall was decorated with flowers and other plants alike and it also had a bookshelf with volumes about botany, flower meanings and other stuff. The idea was renting or selling the books, like a library would.

Wonwoo was organizing the books and didn't notice Junhui approaching until the latter poked him on the sides.

"What."

"Do you think he's cute?" a playful smile danced on Junhui's face.

"Who? You need to be more specific."

"Mr. Tall, Tan and Handsome."

"Is this you talking about yourself in third person again and tricking me into saying you're attractive? Because I've told you already, I-"

"No, silly. I'm talking about one of the tattoo boys from earlier. Mingyu or something."

"Yeah, I guess? They were all good-looking people."

"You're not wrong. Soonyoung is a babe."

"That was just straight up creepy."

"I was kidding, wanted to see your reaction. But I asked you about Mingyu specifically."

"And I already told you yes, why are you asking again? Actually, why did you ask in the first place?"

"No reason, I just have a good feeling about this, he looks like your type, ask him out."

"Yeah, no, thanks, love doctor. We've just met, I don't want to, and a lot of other reasons that I won't bother listing out because I'm busy and I'm pretty sure you should be too."

"You're boring, Wons. Like a plain white pair of socks."

"I know. Now go, I don't pay you to just sit and look pretty."

"You don't pay me. Like, at all."

"Ok, true, I don't. But now we have a shop, so you will be able to make your money. Which means we need to have everything in order before we open the shop for good, so get moving." he made a "shoo" gesture wit both hands.

Junhui lifted his hands in mock surrender and went to check on his atelier.

-•-

"Hey." Soonyoung called, spinning in the receptionist's chair. "Do you guys think we should, like, invite them over for a little get-together? You know, friendly neighbour gesture and a way to get core acquainted."

"Sure." Mingyu agreed. "I could bake a cake, we could order something nice from that barbecue place down the street and done."

"Sounds good." Hansol yawned. It was already late, they were done with appointments for the day and were just waiting for the closing time to come. Minghao and Chan had joined for their night shifts as well. "And get off of my chair."

"Hansol: I hate being a receptionist. Also Hansol: **my**  receptionist chair, **my**  receptionist counter, **my**  receptionist nametag-"

"Ok, Minghao, we get it."

"Hansol, do you think you can do those wall decorations tomorrow?" Seungcheol asked. "You know, outside. With the spray paint."

"Yeah, I guess. The designs are ready, so it will be easy-peasy."

"And after you're done, go to the flower shop and tell them about the get-together."

Hansol huffed. "Why do I have to do everything?"

"Because Mingyu, Soonyoung and I are the responsible adults, I'm genuinely afraid of Minghao, and I'm not close enough with Chan to boss him around. That leaves you, my little cousin."

"Yeah, okay, I'll do it."

"Why are you afraid of me?" Minghao indagued, feigning shock. "I'm a sweetheart!"

"Sure, Jan." Mingyu ruffled his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for reading!! see ya next chapter ✨


	3. welcome to smile flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hansol pays the flower shop a visit and makes a new friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um hi!!! this is a vvv short chapter BUT it seemed incohesive paired with what comes next so i decided to post it he way it is :)
> 
> i have no idea where this is going im just...... posting
> 
> so yeah enjoy!!

The next day, a certain Boo Seungkwan was beyond happy to start his job at the flower shop. He was the receptionist, but was a flower enthusiast and also close friends with all his co-workers, so he couldn't complain.

He was doodling on his notebook after saying goodbye to their first customers: three siblings buying flowers for their mother's birthday. The doorbell rang once again, signaling another person's entrance, and Seungkwan was quick to greet them.

"Hi, good morning, and welcome to Smile Flower! How can I help you?"

The person in question — probably a guy, but he didn't want to assume — had light brown hair with what seemed to be blonde highlights, a style choice that Seungkwan would usually frown upon, but worked, somehow. Their outfit was pretty much all black, except the shoes (hideous, _horrendous_ bright colored nikes), and they were wearing a black face mask and rubber surgeon gloves.

"Hi, thanks, good morning. I'm Hansol, I work at the tattoo parlour next door...? I kind of visited yesterday but I don't think we've met."

"I had morning classes yesterday so I only showed up in the afternoon, that's probably why. Um, sorry, are you allergic to polen?" he gestured vaguely at his nose and mouth area. "Because of the mask and all. We can talk outside if you want."

"Oh, no, I'm not, it's okay. I was working on the shop's exterior design, you know, painting the walls, I was using spray paint and forgot to take the mask off when I came in." he pulled the mask down, settling it under his chin. "Actually, I think going outside is not a good option, the smell of paint is still lingering. It's very strong and unpleasant."

Now that the mask was off, Seungkwan could get a clear view of Hansol's face, and _shit, he's cute_. His features were kind of western, in a way, his lips were thin but soft-looking and he had pretty cheekbones. Speaking of cheekbones, he had some sort of piercing in his right one — _what were those called? Dermal punches? Yeah, Junhui was thinking about getting one_. Seungkwan had never seen one of those up close, but he thought it looked good. The boy also had medium-sized silver gauges on both earlobes, and a nose ring.

Cute. A little edgy, with terrible shoes, but cute.

"Okay then, inside it is. How can I help you?"

"Uh, first of all, welcome to the neighbourhood. I came here for two things, actually. I need to order something for decoration purposes because everyone thinks our shop looks dull, and also invite you guys for a little welcoming get-together, on behalf of all the guys from Shining Diamond. Which is the tattoo shop I work in."

"That's a very sweet gesture, thank you. I'll talk to everyone so we can, like, choose a day, but I'm pretty sure everyone is free on Sunday."

"Nice."

"For the decoration, you can choose what kind you would like. Is it a bouquet on a glass vase? Maybe some cute potted plants? Or, if you're looking for something more original and singular, we also sell ikebana. Do you know what ikebana is?"

"Not really... Sorry." Hansol smiled sheepishly.

"Nah, it's alright. It's the japanese art of arranging flowers and plants, it follows a whole set of rules and philosophy, it's really cool. One of my co-workers, Junhui, is like, a pro. Even though he's chinese, not japanese. Go figure."

"I've met him. Briefly, but still. I think one of those would be cool, can I see what they look like?"

"Sure! Jun is in his atelier, I'll call him. Do you mind waiting for a little bit?"

"Not at all, go ahead."

Seungkwan walked to the back of the shop and knocked on the atelier's door.

"Junnie. One of the boys from the tattoo shop is here, he wants to see one of your arrangements."

"What for?"

"They want to decorate the place and he's searching for options. But, since he doesn't know what ikebana is, he wants to take a look."

Junhui put the sketchbook he was drawing on down and picked a short and wide ceramic vase adorned with red, white and yellow flowers.

"This will do. Let's go."

When they got back, Junhui quickly greeted Hansol with a "good to see you again" and put the vase down.

"Oh, that's really cool." the younger boy mused.

"There are a lot of rules and complicated stuff involved that I won't bother telling you." the florist smiled. "But they mean positive things, and I can make an arrangement that matches your shop's color palette."

"That would be awesome, thank you, I'd like that."

"Good. Do you have like, a specific date when they should be ready? I never take more than a week, and since we just opened and business is still low, it'll take even less. I'm just asking because I don't really like to deliver rushed pieces." he mouthed "not good" and made a no gesture with his index finger.

"No, man, I understand, take your time. Just drop by or call us when it's ready and one of us — okay, probably me — will come to pick it up and pay for it. Or should we pay in advance?"

"No, no, no need for that. It's fine."

"Ok. Well, I should get going now, thank you for your time." he smiled and turned to Seungkwan. "Don't forget to talk to them!"

"I won't!" The other boy chirped. "Bye!"

Junhui waited for the boy to close the door and take a few steps before throwing a knowing smirk at Seungkwan's direction.

"What?"

"You're so into him."

"We met exact 10 minutes ago. Try again."

"But you do think he's cute, right?"

"For fuck's sake, Junhui, stop pestering people about who they find or don't find cute." Wonwoo, who had just finished stocking new shipments on the backroom, joined the conversation.

"This is not about your boring ass, Wons, this is about our Kwannie!"

"Nope." the younger shook his head. "I'm outta here. I'm going to the greenhouse. Someone needs to check on Martha and Genevieve."

"Jihoon is already there."

"Blackburn and Slagathor, then."

"Jisoo watered them yesterday."

"Leonard, Pinky and FN-2187."

"Okay, those three do need a check."

"Why the fuck do we need to name our plants? And why name our youngest succulent FN-2187?" Junhui asked.

"I like Star Wars." Wonwoo shrugged.

"And names are important." Seungkwan added.

"You're both ridiculous."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyyy so uh confession time hansol's ~aesthetic~ was slightly inspired by patty walters im not even sorry . love my bois
> 
> as always, feedback is appreciated <3  
> thank you for reading!!!
> 
> \- ani


	4. flowers are ready

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> henlo its me! im having a bit of a writers block SO im updating this chapter which was already written while i crack my head writing stuff for my other fics :^)
> 
> so enjoy!!

"Fuck this design, fuck this job and fuck this stupid idea as well."

"No, thanks, I'm asexual."

"Will you ever get tired of saying that everytime someone uses 'fuck' in a sentence?"

"Nope."

Mingyu was currently sitting on his desk at the parlour with a sketchbook in front of him and a pencil on his hand. Minghao, by his side, was painting his nails a bright purple, not paying much attention to his best friend's despair.

"Hao, this client asked for 'a cowboy-mermaid pin-up fighting a kraken'. With those exact words. I want to quit."

"Did you ask them the meaning?"

"No! Why would I? It's already terrifying as it is."

Minghao chuckled. "Ok, true. Why don't you ask Hansol to try to come up with a design? It will be a good way of practicing."

"Now that you mention it, we haven't been giving him enough opportunities as an apprentice."

"You've been neglecting the kid? Tsk tsk." the red haired boy shook his head disapprovingly. "I expected better from you, Gyu."

"Don't act like you and Soonyoung don't neglect Chan as well."

"We don't! He gave me this beauty, like, two days ago." Minghao pointed at his right anti-tragus, which was still a little red and sported a thin curved silver bar.

"And how was it?"

"Hurt like a bitch. But he was way better than last time, so we counted it as progress. Might as well let him pierce the next person who asks for a simple earlobe piercing."

"Cool. So, in all fairness, I'm gonna go ask Hansol to draw this monstrosity."

"Go on, then." Minghao looked at his nails, now finished, and turned to Mingyu. "Want me to paint yours next? I bought this metallic black nail polish, I think it would look great on you."

"Yeah, maybe. Be right back."

Mingyu walked to the main hall of the shop. Hansol was behind the counter, arms draped over it, holding his phone with a bored look on his face.

"Texting someone?" Mingyu asked. The other boy wasn't even startled by the sudden voice.

"More like beating my own record on Geometry Dash." he sighed. "Or trying to, at least. What's up?"

"I need your help on a design."

Hansol's eyes went wide and he quickly closed the game and put his phone down.

"Really?"

Mingyu chuckled. He knew how much Hansol wanted to learn, it was clear on the younger's face.

"Yes, really. I wouldn't get too excited, though, it's a weird request, too specific and difficult. I was stumped and Minghao suggested I asked you for help."

"Please tell me it's not one of those weird animal things again. I was scarred for life after that."

" _You_ were scarred for life? _I_ was the one tattooing! But no, it's not that. It's a, and I quote, 'cowboy-mermaid pin-up fighting a kraken'."

Hansol bursted up laughing. "Oh my god. I don't even know who asked for it and I'm already their biggest fan. This is amazing."

"So you'll do it? Come up wit a design for this fuckery?"

"Sure, man. Just give me credit if the client likes it."

Hansol pulled his own sketchbook and pencils from his bag under the counter and flipped the pages until he found a blank one. Mingyu stopped him before that, though, pointing at a small drawing on an almost full page. It was a constellation globe.

"I like this one. Keep practicing and maybe, in the future, I'll let you tattoo it on me."

Hansol beamed. "For real? Wow, that would be amazing. It's the north hemisphere's constellations, there's a counterpart, the south hemisphere's, you know, if you have someone who would want to match with you."

"I'd ask Minghao but he'd probably punch me at the perspective of getting matching tattoos." they both laughed. "Speaking of the devil, I'm gonna head back, he wants to try a new nail polish color and I'm the victim."

"You like painting your nails, though. Ask him if he can redye my hair, please?"

"Sure. Good luck, Hansolie."

"Yeah, don't call me that."

Mingyu laughed and walked away.

When Hansol was halfway through the — admittedly weird — design, someone opened the shop's front door. He looked up to see who it was and proceeded to say hi.

"Seungkwan, hi!" he waved. "How are you?"

"Hello, Hansol, I'm good. You?"

"Same. What brings you here?"

"Uh, two things." he held up two fingers. "One, everyone is free on Sunday."

"That's nice to hear."

"Two, your flowers are ready."

"Also nice to hear." Hansol smiled. "Thanks."

Seungkwan then noticed the sketchbook.

"Oh, this looks good!"

"It isn't finished yet, but thank you."

"Are there more drawings?" the blonde boy asked cheerfully. Then, he mentally slapped himself. "No, sorry, that was not a very polite thing to ask. I didn't mean to pry, sorry."

"It's ok. The sketchbook is full of doodles or designs I try on my free time." Hansol closed the book and slided it to Seungkwan. "You can take a look, if you want."

He nodded shyly and started flipping through the pages with a curious look on his face. Sometimes, his eyes would widen and he would point at a specific doodle and say "this one's very pretty" or "oh, so cool". Hansol thought it was adorable.

"I like this one a lot." Seungkwan pointed at a key with a ribbon twirling around it.

"Why don't you get it, then?"

"Uh-uh." He shook his head. "Scared of the pain."

"Come on, it won't hurt that much, it's a small tattoo."

"You can't know that for sure."

"I have one and it was completely bearable." Hansol pulled down his shirt's neckline to show the tattoo just below his right collarbone, on the spot between chest and shoulder. It was a light blue diamond, american-traditional style. "See? Just get it in a fleshy part of your body. Stay away from the ribcage, though. I got my mom and sister's names tattooed there and it hurt. A lot."

"I'm still not sure. But, because you're nice and I trust you, I'll think about it." he smiled. A pause. "Do you, uh, have any other tattoos? If you don't mind me asking, sorry if this is too personal or-"

"Nah, no problem. I do have one more, but it's embarassing. I lost a bet, and, well..." he turned his head and showed the spot behind his left ear, where the words _ice ice baby_ were written.

"Oh, my god. You have to tell me the story behind this."

They both laughed, but were suddenly interrupted by someone opening the door and yelling.

" _BOO SEUNGKWAN_!"

"Oops." the blonde boy whispered, cheeks flushing. He turned to the person standing at the door, waving sheepishly. "Hi, Jeonghan."

"What's taking you so long? I thought you got kidnapped or something!"

"I'm literally next door from you guys."

"I don't care! You were supposed to come here, say 'hello, good to see you, flowers are ready' and go back. I was worried." the older crossed his arms.

"Sorry, I, uh, lost track of time. Even though it wasn't even five minutes."

Jeonghan went over to half-hug Seungkwan and pat his head. "It's alright. Sorry for overreacting, you know how I get." he then turned to Hansol. "Hi, sorry about that. I swear I'm usually a chill person."

"It's okay, I understand. You just kind of scared me, dude."

"Jeonghan is indeed very scary when he is in worried-mother-hen mode." Seungkwan said. He received a poke on the side as a reaction.

"Stop painting a bad image of me, Kwannie."

"Don't call me that!"

Hansol laughed at the bickering duo, who quickly said their goodbyes after a few moments. Jeonghan said Seungkwan needed to go back to word asap, because "Shua is manning the counter and I don't trust him, he's too nice". Hansol said someone would be over to get the flowers in a few minutes, and soon the shop's main hall was empty again.

That is, until Minghao walked in.

"I'm not redying your hair, Hansol."

"Wow, hello to you too."

"Those blonde highlights I did on your hair were the biggest mistake of my life and I'm not making that mistake again, so you either let your roots grow or dye it another color."

The younger sighed. There was no use arguing with Minghao — he would most definitely win. Besides, he was kind of getting bored of the blonde highlights.

"Dye it all blonde, then. Same color as the highlights."

"Yikes." Minghao mock-flinched. "Sorry, I just don't get your obssession with blonde hair. I've had it, it's not that spectacular."

"Shut up, I'll look great. I always do." Hansol batted his eyelashes playfully for good measure, earning a slap upside the head from Minghao.

"You're a brat."

"Thanks, I learned from the best. You, obviously." a pause. "Hey, Hao, do you think you can pick up the flowers I ordered for us?"

-•-

Junhui was in his shared atelier with Jeonghan when Seungkwan walked in asking for the ikebana piece he had made for the tattoo shop next door.

"Oh, are they here to pick it up?"

"Yeah. I don't know the guy, though, so maybe you wanna come with me to see who it is?"

"Sure."

They both walked to the front and were greeted by the sight of a lanky boy with bright red hair. He had an adorable nose, big round eyes and pointy ears with too many piercings to count, metal glistening when hit by sunlight.

"Hi." he waved. "I'm Minghao, Hansol sent me here to pick up the flowers...?" it sounded less like an affirmative and more like he was unsure of what he had to say.

"You weren't there when I met the guys yesterday." Junhui commented.

"I only work the night shift on Mondays." he rubbed the back of his neck. Junhui noticed he was wearing a killer outfit, ripped jeans with a white blouse adorned with red roses on its uneven sleeves. "So, uh, how much do we owe you? For the flowers?"

"It will be 20$." Seungkwan answered while Junhui handed him the vase, tall and sleek black, containing two pink flowers and a variety of other plants, all small and green, complete with brown vines stretching out and surpassing the rim of the vase.

Minghao paid for the arrangement and took a minute to admire the plants. "This is really pretty."

"Thank you!"

"And thanks for choosing us!"

Minghao smiled at them, flowers still in his hold, but didn't leave. "Hm, may I ask what are your names? I mean, I introduced myself but you guys kind of... didn't."

"Oh, sorry!" Seungkwan apologised. "I forgot. To be honest, I was distracted by your hair. I'm Seungkwan."

"I'm Junhui, and I don't really have an excuse. Maybe I'm just naturally distracted."

The red haired boy laughed, shook hands with both of them and said goodbye before leaving.

"Naturally distracted." Seungkwan mocked the older florist.

"I really am, though. You know, spacing out, I do that all the time."

"Yeah, right. You can't fool me, Wen Junhui. You..." he paused for extra dramatic effect, pointing to Junhui with finger guns. "Totally think he's cute."

"I cannot _believe_ this is the only thing you talk about in this fucking establishment." Wonwoo came out of nowhere, again, — seriously, how does he do that? — and slapped the duo upside their heads. "If you ever ask yourselves why I hang out with Jihoon, that's why. The only thing he's ever called cute was our first succulent."

"Yeah, but at least I got to experience Junhui making heart eyes at the boy from the tattoo shop. It was hilarious."

"Stop thirsting for our neighbours and get to work. We will see them on Sunday anyway."

"Yep, can't wait."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyyy  
> all my knowledge about tattoos and tattoo shops comes from ink master and bondi ink so there are probably some inaccurate stuff
> 
> not really sure abt the junhao tbh lets just see where it goes
> 
> (ace minghao is pretty much my trademark at this point im not even sorry !)
> 
> as always, feedback is appreciated, thank you for reading ✨


	5. sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> get-together shenanigans and lots of banter. thats it. thats the chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!!! sorry for taking this long to update the plan was to finish writing this on monday but with the recent events (i think you know what im talking about) i kinda lost motivation
> 
> im better (and i hope you all are too <3) so here it is!!
> 
> heads up for: drinking and 2 (two) ppl getting drunk. everyone's of age so its legal and its light because i am not very comfortable with writing/reading/presenciating drunk situations myself hehe
> 
> enjoy~

Sunday came surprisingly quicky. The boys from Shining Diamond spent the morning cleaning Soonyoung's apartment — where the reunion would be held. It felt weird calling it a "reunion", but it wasn't really a party, not when it was meant to get to know new neighbours.

When they were done, everyone went back to their own houses to get ready. The get-together started at 3pm, so they had a couple of hours to do so.

It was nearing 2:45 when Mingyu arrived at Soonyoung's place with a chocolate cake decorated with pink frosting.

"What if one of them is allergic?" the older asked.

"Then I'll owe them another cake."

Seungcheol and Hansol arrived five minutes later, with a barbecue restaurant's number for them to order a meal.

"Okay, but what if one of them is vegetarian?"

"The restaurant has some vegetarian options, we can order separatedly." Hansol shrugged.

"And what if one of them is vegan? That's an even stricter diet and-"

"Soonyoung, quit worrying." Seungcheol put a hand on his shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

The next ones to arrive were Minghao and Chan with bottles of soda and juice. They didn't want to involve beer or any other alcoholic beverages in their little reunion — but, knowing Soonyoung and his not-so-secret stash of soju, there was no way alcohol wouldn't get involved. They just hoped it would happen near the end of the event.

Ten minutes past 3pm, the boys from the flower shop arrived, all together, to the others' surprise.

"Did you all plan to arrive together or...?" Soonyoung indagued.

"We live together." Junhui said. "The shop's building has a second floor. Actually, second and third. So we live there."

"Cool. I wish I lived this close to our shop. Come in, come in. Welcome to my humble abode."

The six boys walked in. There were some unfamiliar faces on both sides — they haven't all met each other yet.

"Hello, everyone!" Mingyu greeted.

"Uh, not to sound rude or anything", a boy with blonde hair and round cheeks started. "But I don't know some of you." he motioned to the group of hosts.

"And I don't know any of you." Chan added, getting up from the couch's armrest.

"Yeah, we should probably fix that." Soonyoung gestured to the couch and bean bags in the living room. "Make yourselves comfortable, let's properly meet each other."

"I'll start." the same blonde boy from earlier raised his hands. "Hello everyone, I'm Seungkwan. Hi Hansol, hi Minghao, good to see you again."

"Hi, Kwannie." Hansol smiled, followed by Minghao, who just waved.

"I'm Jisoo." a brown-haired guy with cat-like features said. He had multiple ear piercings — though not as much as Minghao — and a vertical labret piercing. "I also go by Joshua. Both are fine."

One by one, the boys from Smile Flower introduced themselves.

"Nice." Chan nodded, trying to memorize the new names. "My name's Chan, nice to meet you all."

"You're tiny." Jeonghan said. He was sitting on the couch's armrest and leaning a bit too much for it to be comfortable on Jisoo, who was sitting right beside him. "As in, you look really young."

"I'm nineteen. I'm not tiny."

"Yes you are."

They were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

"Are we expecting anyone else?" Wonwoo raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, actually." Soonyoung rushed to the door and opened it, revealing a smiley Seokmin holding a tray of cookies.

"Seok!" Seungkwan exclaimed, jumping up from his beanbag and walking towards the new guest. "I didn't know you knew them!"

"These losers started as regulars at the place I work at. We've been friends for a while."

"It felt wrong not to invite him." Seungcheol patted Seokmin's shoulder. "If he didn't tell us there was a flower shop opening next door to our parlour, none of this would happen. Besides, we love him a lot. Partying without him doesn't make sense."

"Aw, you flatter me. I love you guys too." Seokmin lifted the tray he was stil holding. "Now, cookies?"

The reunion started properly after that. When the time to order the food came, the who-is-vegetarian issue came up.

"Hey." Mingyu called, phone in hand. "Is anyone vegetarian?"

Jeonghan lifted his hand.

"We're ordering food from a barbecue place, but they have vegetarian meals too. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure!" he smiled.

The younger handed him the restaurant's menu. "They're here, bottom left corner."

"Uh, I think I want the vegetarian option as well." Wonwoo spoke up. "I'm not in the mood for heavy food today."

"Cool." Mingyu smiled. "Two meals from the vegetarian menu." he mumbled, in an attempt to remember all orders.

After ordering the food, all boys started talking between themselves, random topics coming up here and there.

 

_"And the guy just goes 'I want a cowboy-mermaid pin-up fighting a kraken tattooed on my thigh'!!"_

_"Oh my god. How do you even draw something like that?"_

_"I don't know, I left the creative work for Hansol. Ask him."_

_"Gladly."_

_  
"But yeah, my grandmother once told me how to always win at bingo."_

_"I thought the game was based on luck."_

_"I thought that too, until she showed me the truth."_

_  
"I think the pro-pineapple on pizza and the anti-pineapple on pizza clubs should join forces against strawberry on pizza. That is the true abomination."_

_"Can't be worse than broccoli."_

_"Trust me, it is."_

  
They stopped the chattering when the food arrived. The boys ate the cake — thankfully, no one was allergic — and the rest of Seokmin's cookies for dessert. The afternoon was filled with a light mood and playful atmosphere...

"Soonyoung, I'm being serious. Please, pierce my nipple."

... until the not-so-secret stash of alcohol was discovered.

Here's how the story went: Soonyoung had gone to the kitchen to fetch one (1) can of beer for himself. He had no intention on getting the others drunk/tipsy. But some of the flavored vodka bottles he kept on the cupboard didn't look like vodka bottles at all, so Junhui and Mingyu had mistaken it for some type of fancy orange juice.

Hence why Junhui was clinging to Soonyoung's leg and almost crying over a nipple piercing.

"I'm not piercing your nipple, Junhui."

"You don't understant! It's been my dream since I was a teenager!"

"Then I'll gladly do it when you're not drunk out of your ass." the black haired boy turned to Wonwoo. "Is he always like this when he's drunk?"

"I don't know." the other shrugged. "It's the first time I see him drunk with my own eyes. I don't usually go to places where people do that kind of stuff."

"Does it make you uncomfortable? You know, drinking?"

"Kind of. It used to be worse."

"Sorry. I wouldn't have left the cupboard open if I knew. Hell, I don't even like vodka, it was a souvenir my mother brought from whatever country she visited and insisted I kept here."

"It's alright. I should probably take Jun home, though."

"Yeah, and I should take care of Mingyu." Soonyoung looked at his taller friend, who was rolling on the floor and hugging a bean bag. "He's a happy drunk, not much of a menace. But, you know, drunk people need to be babied."

"They don't, actually." Wonwoo playfully slapped the other's shoulder. "You're just too nice to leave them on their own."

"Maybe I am." Soonyoung smiled. "Now, please collect Junhui. Keep him safe."

"Aye, capitain."

The six boys from Smile Flower took Junhui's drinking incident as a cue to leave all together, the same way they had arrived. They left after exchanging numbers and saying rushed goodbyes, leaving only the Shining Diamond crew and Seokmin at the apartment.

"He's so _cuuuuute_." Mingyu giggled.

Seokmin opened his mouth to say something, but Minghao shook his head.

"Don't ask. Seriously. You don't want to know what's going on inside his mind right now."

The other boy shrugged and snatched the last cookie from the tray. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah. As long as he goes straight to bed and drink lots of water."

"Good. I was worried." Seokmin pretended to dust off his jeans — most likely getting rid of cookie crumbles. "I should probably go. It's getting late."

"You live in this building. Going home late is not a risk."

"It's always a risk when you live on the edge, dear Hao."

"That doesn't even make sense."

Seokmin shot him finger guns and a wink before closing the apartment's door.

-•-

Meanwhile, Wonwoo was struggling to get Junhui out of their minivan.

"I'm not leaving Glinda!" the older protested. "You didn't let me pilot her-"

"Because you're intoxicated."

"-and now you want to take me away from my baby!"

"Yes, to get you to bed. You need to rest."

"I don't want to rest. I want to stay here."

"Can someone, please, give me a hand here?" he saw Junhui extending his own hand. "Not like that, Junnie, but thanks."

Seeing that his friends were all inside their house already, he decided to bargain with Junhui.

"Hey, Jun, hear me out. If you come with me upstairs, take a shower and a good night of sleep, I'll let you stay with Glinda all day tomorrow." it was like talking with a very annoying child, he figured. "Do we have a deal?"

Junhui spent a few moments pondering, face scrunched up, before he agreed. Both boys went upstairs and stopped by the bathroom door.

"You can shower by yourself, right?" Wonwoo asked the older, who just nodded. Relieved, the younger florist left the bathroon and went to his own room to change into his pyjamas and rest. He got solid three minutes of peace and quiet before Junhui showed up at his door, towel poorly wrapped around his frame, hair wet and sticking to his forehead.

"Wons. I dropped all of my shampoo on the floor."

Wonwoo sighed. That would be a long evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to have Important Plot Points but its just them hanging out and being cute
> 
> jisoo's vertical labret piercing was a spur of the moment decision and im glad i decided to make it A Thing
> 
> as always, feedback is appreciated!! tysm for reading, see you next chapter ✨❣️


	6. jihoon thinks about getting a piercing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhhh im alive and i have an explanation  
> i'll keep this short: physical and mental health kicked my ass at the same time, then college started and it kicked my ass along with my mental health, and on the days i was fine i had like 0 motivation (also im posting twitter aus so my attention is divided)  
> classes are over for a few weeks and my motivation is back so im here!!!! this is hardly worth the wait but i hope you enjoy it so yeah

Monday mornings were usually boring at the tattoo shop. Actually, mornings in general; most clients didn't like to schedule their appointments before noon, and the same thing happened with walk-ins. Yet, the boys kept opening the shop at 10, because, as Seungcheol once said, "you can't never be too sure. There can always be a weirdo who wants to get poked by needles before lunch".

 

That morning, opening early proved to be worth it — Jihoon paid them a visit around 11, round glasses perched on his nose and apron matching his pink hair.

 

“Oh, hey!” Hansol greeted him from the front desk.

 

“Hi. How's it going?”

 

“Fine. How's Junhui? Did you guys get home without any, uh, incidents?”

 

“Well, yeah, no harm was done, but he did and said a lot of weird shit. Wonwoo said he dropped his bottle of shampoo while showering. He's fine now, we told him to rest. What about Mingyu?”

 

“He fell asleep, like, five minutes after you guys left. He's probably still sleeping. We left him a few painkillers in case he wakes up with a hangover and a little note so he won't freak out when he sees the house is empty.” Hansol twirled a pen between his index and middle fingers. “Honestly, we shouldn't have let that happen. It's very unprofessional.”

 

Jihoon shrugged. “What's done is done.”

 

“True.” the younger sighed. “But what brings you here?”

 

“Uh, please don't think it's weird?” Jihoon rubbed the back of his neck. “But I wanted to get my nose pierced.”

 

“Nice. It's not weird. Did I expect that from you? No, but I don't know you for enough time to make assumptions so my lack of expectation is invalid. Do you want to get it done now?”

 

“I'm... Not really sure. I'm kinda scared, to be honest.”

 

“It's fine. Everyone gets a little scared. You can take some time to think it over, the next appointment for the piercing crew is at, like, 5.” Hansol checked his notes. “Yeah, 5. So you pretty much have the whole day.”

 

“Okay. I'll go back to my house to get some work done and think about it, ok? I'll be back after lunch. Probably.”

 

“It's fine, bro, take your time.” he paused. “Do I have the permission to call you bro?”

 

“Uh... I guess?”

 

“Cool. So we're bros.” Hansol smiled as Jihoon waved at him from the door before leaving. “See you later!”

 

“See you!”

 

The small click of the door closing echoed through the empty hall. Hansol spinned once in his chair — an old habit, don't question him, he knows it's weird — before going back to doodling things on his sketchbook. Not long after, Seungcheol walked out of his studio's door, plastic gloves covered in bright blue ink.

 

“Was that Jihoon?” he asked.

 

“Yep.” Hansol nodded, then motioned to the older's hands. “Do I want to know what happened?”

 

“It wasn't my fault, ok, I was organizing my stuff and then a heard a ‘ploft’ and I was like ‘oh no’ and then my gloves were blue. I didn't do anything.”

 

Hansol chuckled. “We talk about Mingyu being clumsy but you're just as bad. Next time let _me_ be the responsible one since you can't even organize your station without creating a disaster.” his tone was sarcastic when he said that last sentence.

 

“Watch your tone, kid.” Seungcheol pointed a blue-stained gloved finger at his cousin. “You still live with me and I still can get you grounded for being a little shit.”

 

Hansol stuck out his tongue and Seungcheol did the same.

 

“Children, please behave!” Soonyoung's voice was heard from his own studio. “Yes, I can hear you two bickering from here, turn down the volume.”

 

“Fuck off.” the other two shouted in unison.

 

-•-

 

Wonwoo was at the flower shop's storage room, organizing the new shipments they had just received — tulips — when he heard steps coming down the stairs.

 

“Junhui?” he called. “Is that you?”

 

“Yeah...” Junhui's lazy voice answered. He sounded better than in the morning, but still a little tired. “Where are you?”

 

“Storage.”

 

By the sound his feet made when shuffling to the storage room, Wonwoo could tell his friend was wearing only socks. He smiled to himself.

 

“Hiiiii.” the older greeted, helping Wonwoo with the boxes.

 

“Hi, Junnie. How are you feeling?”

 

“A little better. I think I can get back to work.”

 

“Good. But hey.” Wonwoo turned to look at Junhui. “We love you, but don't do that again, ok? Not on a work night, at least.”

 

“Yeah, I won't. I got distracted, really. I'm sorry.” he sighed and looked down. “Did I make you uncomfortable?”

 

“No, not really. Don't worry.”

 

Junhui wasn't convinced, but he let the subject go. It didn't seem like the right hour to talk about it.

 

“Now.” Wonwoo put his hand on Junhui's shoulder. “Go put on some shoes, brush your hair and go to work. The flowers won't arrange themselves.”

 

“Ugh, so demanding. You're not my dad.” Junhui stuck out his tongue at the younger.

 

“I know. Jeonghan is. Now go.” they both laughed as Wonwoo ruffled Junhui's hair and playfully shoved him.

 

“You're the worst boss ever. Choke.”

 

“Love you too!”

 

-•-

 

It was half past 2pm and Jihoon was back at Shining Diamond, still a little nervous, but not unsure about the piercing anymore. Hansol waved at him from behind his desk enthusiastically.

 

“Hey!! So, have you decided?”

 

“Yeah, I'm getting it.”

 

“Awesome! Okay, so, you remember Soonyoung, right?”

 

Jihoon nodded.

 

“He'll be your piercer for today, since he's the only one working. I'll take you to his station, follow me!”

 

Hansol got down from the spinning chair and led Jihoon to a partially open red door. He opened it fully to reveal a concentrated Soonyoung playing something that looked like Piano Tiles on his phone. The man in question looked up, startled.

 

“Ever heard of knocking?” he asked, closing the game app and locking his phone.

 

“That's rich coming from you.” Hansol snickered. “Remember that time when-“

 

“ _No_ , I don't.” Soonyoung cut him off. “What do you need, Hansolie?”

 

“You have a client.” the younger motioned for Jihoon to enter the room.

 

“Oh, hi Jihoon!” Soonyoung smiled. “How are you?”

 

“I'm good. You?”

 

“Me too. So, are you here to get a piercing?”

 

“No, he's here only to see you.” Hansol answered, sarcastically.

 

“Well, he could be!”

 

“Yes, I'm here to get a piercing.” Jihoon interfered, a little shy.

 

“Okay, so I'll leave you two to it.” Hansol walked to the door. “I'll be at the hall, when you're done just look for me so you can pay and I'll give you the folder with the instructions for taking care of the piercing, alright?”

 

Jihoon gave him a thumbs up. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room while Soonyoung set up the stuff he needed.

 

“Hey.” Soonyoung called. “You can sit there.” he pointed to a reclinable chair. “Make yourself comfortable. Where do you want the piercing?”

 

“Uh... septum.”

 

“Whoa. That's brave for a first timer.” he paused. “You _are_ a first timer, right?”

 

“I guess I am.”

 

All things ready, Soonyoung approached the chair. “Ready?”

 

“Is it going to hurt?”

 

“It's a needle going through your flesh, Jihoonie, of course it's going to hurt.”

 

Jihoon's eyes widened in disbelief. “You were supposed to comfort me, or something!”

 

“I was going to, you didn't let me finish!” Soonyoung took a deep breath. “Look, I can't lie to you saying it's not gonna hurt, specially since the septum is a very tricky area, but I'll be quick, ok? You'll feel a pinch and I'll be done. Oh, do you want to lie down?” he pointed to a narrow metal bed with leather cushions and a pillow. “It can help you relax.”

 

Jihoon nodded and moved to lie down. The pillow was surprisingly fluffy, and he made himself comfortable. Soonyoung leaned over him, needle in hand, ready to pierce his nose. His breath hitched.

 

(If it was because of the needle or the proximity, he didn't know. Probably both.)

 

“Now, I need you to focus on me.” Soonyoung said, in a calm voice. “I know I'm kind of close, but it's to get a better view at what I'm doing. Now,” he positioned the needle. “Pay attention to me. Did you know dogs see in black and white? I heard elephants are like that too.”

 

A pinch.

 

“Ouch.”

 

A tug.

 

“ _Ouch_.”

 

A light boop on the nose.

 

“And we're done!” Soonyoung cheered.

 

“Was that it?” Jihoon raised one eyebrow.

 

“Yep.” the older threw away the disposable material and took off hos gloves. “Told you it would be quick. Also, you seem to have a very high pain tolerance, which is a blessing, in my opinion. Get up, come take a look at your piercing in the mirror. It looks really cool.”

 

Jihoon did so, and it did, in fact, look cool. He had chosen a horseshoe-shaped silver jewel that was proportional to his nose and complimented his round glasses. He smiled. “It looks nice. Thank you.”

 

“You're welcome!” Soonyoung beamed. He beamed a lot, the shorter noticed. Was he really that enthusiastic over everything? “You did a great job too, you know.”

 

“All I did was get nervous over nothing.” Jihoon chuckled. “You were good distracting me with the dog facts. Were they even true?”

 

“I don't know, maybe. I usually make them up on the spot, it helps the person focus on something other than the needle and relax. You know, if you're tense, your body also tenses up, and it's harder to push the needle through. As I need to put on more force while doing it, the person also feels a lot more pain and pressure than they would if they were relaxed. So yeah, loosing up helps.”

 

“Did you make this up as well?” Jihoon teased.

 

“I didn't. It's 100% facts. Reliable sources and all that.” Soonyoung sat on the reclinable chair and leaned back. “Now you go to Hansol to talk about the boring payment stuff. I can't handle that.”

 

“Are you kicking me out?”

 

“I'm not!!!” the older said, frantically. Apparently, his attempt at being friendly failed. He didn't know Jihoon enough to answer with a sarcastic yes but he didn't want to seem too stiff and all-business (he couldn't even if he tried. Soonyoung was just that friendly. But today was probably not his best day.) “It's just-“

 

“Relax, I'm pulling your leg.” Jihoon smiled, showing off pointy little teeth and very cute dimples. Soonyoung's heart may or may not have fluttered. “I gotta go, anyway. Thanks again, bye Soonyoung!”

 

“Bye, Jihoonie. Come back anytime!”

 

“I just might!” he wasn't in the room anymore, but made himself heard. Soonyoung could sense a smile in his voice, so maybe, contrary to his previous worries, his attempt at being friendly worked just right.

 

Soonyoung felt himself smile at the prospect of spending time with Jihoon again.

 

He didn't have a crush.

 

“He said he might come back.” the man whispered to himself, giggling.

 

He didn't have a crush, _shut the fuck up_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoop hi again!!!! tbh i wont promise to go back to a regular posting schedule bc i never had those to begin with but i think ive got the hang of writing again so hopefully you'll be seeing more of me??? and please let me know if you liked the chapter or something comments make me happy uwu 
> 
> thank you for reading and see you next chapter!!!! <3


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